What was your first job as a teenager or young adult? Do those memories make you cringe, chuckle or laugh out loud? Perhaps you learned a valuable life lesson, discovered a career path or even met your future spouse? We asked people what they remember most about their first jobs. The answers we got ranged from thoughtful to nostalgic and even hilarious.
Read what they have to say and share your own story in the comments.
The Fire Alarm That Wasn’t
My first job out of high school was as a data clerk for an insurance company in Des Moines in 1960. The buzzer used by the agents to contact the dictaphone operator was a LOUD horn-type buzz. It was exactly the same sound as the fire alarm at my high school.
The first time it went off, I got up from my desk and walked out of the building. ALONE. A bit later I went back in to ask the others why they stayed and learned my error. — JudyAnn L.
Dropping the Drinks
At my first job waiting tables, I learned how kind and understanding people can be after getting a tray full of drinks dropped on them.
And to never let anyone take something off of your tray! — Karen C.
Punching Time, Processing Punch Cards
My first job was right after high school graduation. I needed to get a security clearance. I worked in the computer operations center at White Sands Missile Range, processing punch cards. Remember them?
At the time, the minimum wage was $2.54/hour. Thankfully, I still lived at home! I wasn’t an accurate typist by any means. I needed to retype so many of those punch cards—and the ones I liked the least were the payment processing cards for the soldiers. I had to enter a lot of data per soldier, so those took the longest.
After a while, I moved to processing computer tapes (confidential) for a vital operation at WSMR. — Bobbie A.
Lessons in Horse Poop
My first real job was mucking stalls at a horse barn.
I learned quickly that I didn’t know nearly as much as I thought about horses. — Michelle C.
The Job That Led to Adulthood
I did not get my first “real” job until I was 17 years old, and it was what I like to call my gateway to adulthood. It led to my first car, paid for my secondary education and it was where I met my husband of 31 years.
There were about 15 of us that worked at that hardware store and we were all very close. We worked together and hung out together as if we were a large family. Just the other day, I saw an old friend from that job. We haven’t seen each other for over 20 years and he instantly recognized me. We sat and talked about our lives, our families and the good old days.
That job is still a fond memory I cherish even today. — TracyLynn S.
What an Arm!
I delivered newspapers from 12 to 15 years of age. I excelled at folding and wrapping rubber bands around each.
I was also an expert at throwing the newspaper…on the customer’s roof. — Rick M.
The Crawl-Through Drive-Thru
My first job was babysitting, but my first real job was at Burger Chef, a fast-food job. This company was great to work for—still haven’t found a burger or fried apple pie as good as theirs. Times were different then.
Our drive-thru window didn’t lock well, so, if I was the first person there in the mornings, I just had to pop it with my hand by the lock and slide it open, crawl through the window and get to work. If you were the last to leave, you locked all of the doors from the inside and climbed out of the drive-thru window, sliding it closed with a “slam.”
Managers had keys, but, at 16, I was “‘the manager” a lot of times. I got raises about every three months and made $1.00 more than minimum wage. That was in 1978. Kroger was my job at 17, and I had a 401(k), insurance and retirement. I stayed for 24 years. — Amanda C.
Free Food Perks
I was 14 and washed dishes. I worked my way up to the head cook by 15. We had these amazing big sandwiches: roast beef, turkey clubs and others. We got a free meal every eight-hour shift, but I would save my meal to bring home for my Dad. — Bob M.
Love in the Stacks
My first job was as a shelver at my local library. I was in high school and it paid well. As a neat freak, I enjoyed making sure all the books were in perfect alphabetical or Dewey Decimal [System] order. The other fun part was that the children’s librarian used to have me come in and help with story-time programs, passing out the craft materials, etc.
I didn’t know it at the time, but that job would shape the rest of my life. When I was in college, I transferred to another branch, where I ended up meeting my husband, who was another shelver. We’ve been married 24 years.
I had such a good experience working in the library, that I began working full time and eventually got my master’s degree and became a children’s librarian myself. I have been in the library field for 32 years now, but for the past five years I only work part-time and work as a professional organizer on the side. That way I get to organize things OTHER than books, which has been a great transition. — Pam H.
Fighting Fast Food Temptations
My first job was at Dairy Queen at age 15.
Funniest memory? One of the girls I worked with and I made gorgeous loaded sundaes…and then threw them in the trash without eating them to prove we had the willpower to stay on our diets!
That was long before I knew about food costs! — Kathy A.
Washing Dishes, Making Friends
My first job was washing dishes at a restaurant. I was 15 years old and had just returned from vacation when I learned my good friends had landed a job at Sixpence [a local restaurant]. I wanted to work too, and, of course, they put in a good word for me.
We had a great time, met many new friends and I ended up bussing tables my sophomore year. Looking back, I guess those were some of the best work experiences of my teenage years. — John P.
You Say You Want a Raise?
I worked at a convenience store. I started there when I was 12 years old.
I worked my butt off for $1.25 an hour.
After two years of devoted service to all customers, I asked for a raise. The owner told me to go stand on a chair. — Tony C.
Everyone Has Their Own First-Job Story
What do you remember about your first job? How did it change you? What did you learn? Let’s take a stroll down memory lane—share your story in the comments below!
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My first job when I was 16 was at a resturant as a car hop, the guy gave me a $10.00 bill for a $4,35 meal when I went back to give him his change forgot which car it was and gave the change to the wrong person, the rest of the night I was sent to the kitchen to wash dishes. Taught me a lesson,
Age 13, Carhop at Dog & Suds, 65cents an hour.
My first job as a teenager was being a stock boy, janitor and sales clerk at a small Department store in Beech Grove, In. I enjoyed greeting people and helping them with their purchases. The department store carried a complete line of merchandise and I always said I sold everything from bras to boot
socks. A great Jewish family owned the store and my first reprimand was for using too much string on the package. The second thing was “Don’t tell the customer what we don’t have, show them what we do have. Lots of these lessons I’ve carried thru my 90 year life.
I was a math major in college, but by my Junior year I knew that I did not want to be a teacher - or an accountant - the two most available math related jobs for a woman. In my Senior year I took an Intro to Computers course - and I knew that was what I wanted to do - btw this was 1969 - the early days of the computer industry. I had no idea where I would work but since I had a wedding to plan (I got married 4 days after graduating college) I didn't worry about it. Fortunately for me, one of my bridesmaids had an uncle who worked for Western Electric - part of the Bell System back in the day. So she got me an interview. I was very optimistic - but still totally surprised when after interviewing with several departments, the HR guy asked me where I wanted to work?
Turns out my friend's uncle was a Vice President of the company! lol. I picked a great department and had a great time working in a primarily male industry.
My funniest story was when I sent out a software change to our regional office in Denver - they called me in the middle of the night with a problem. My code had caused a loop and wouldn't stop printing - they said they only had 1 box of paper left so "could I please fix the problem!!!"
My proudest accomplishment was working as a Consultant to American Express and helping to design the software for the first Amex ATM machines.
Life is good - I can still handle IT - but Real Estate is my career now - and being Grandma - the best job ever!
I had my first paying job when I was about 7 or 8. I grew up on a farm, before modern technology did everything. (We still had milk cans at the time). Mustard was an obnoxious, invasive weed in the grain fields. My grandfather paid my sister and me a penny a piece for each weed plant we pulled. Our feet fit between the rows of grain without smashing them. I loved it! I was able to be out in the fresh air, not stuck in the house. My grandfather showed my sister and me that we were valuable to the family farm even though we were small. It was a wonderful feeling to see the smile on his face as we worked beside him and my daddy in the fields. He always said well done when he paid us. That money went into a savings account and was a significant amount at the end of the summer. The love of the outdoors and growing things is still with me and I passed it on to my children and grandchildren. One son works with horses with his wife. One son has 2 acres, a huge vegetable garden and an incredible rose garden. My grandchildren earn money doing yardwork and have houseplants in their rooms. Family and working together is important to all of us. I ended my working career with what I called the best job next to being a Grandma. I was the tour guide/narrator on a scenic railroad. Can't beat getting paid to ride the train!
My first job was working at a gas station in a busy part of Orange Co. Calif. I had to keep the facility clean, When customers pulled in I had to check thier oil, wash thier windshield and run the pumps. The gas back then was about 30 cents per gal. A very busy job, being the only worker there.
My first job right after graduating from high school in 1947:
Running a spooling machine in a woolen factory. We had fans but no AC in those days. It required standing all day behind this big machine and tie ends of yarn from small spools to a large spool, which then was transferred to weaving and eventually became bolts of woolen cloth. I made close friends among my fellow workers and very much enjoyed having a pay check at the end of each week.
However, I did not follow up in this line of work. By the time I was late 20's I had studied for the aerospace industry and that was my line of work until I retired in 1985.
My first job was with the civic reading club of Connecticut out of Hartford selling magazines over the phone. What all of us at four tables would do is take a page from the telephone book in those days and just start at the top and go down one name at a time and crossed them out as you did this so the next shift knew where to start. My shift was from 5 to 9 pm. We got leads for the salesmen to close. I got pretty good in those days realizing that men in those days made the decisions so I talked to the men who gave their wives magazines. I did pretty well getting commissions after the salesmen closed the deal.. Got to talk to a lot of interesting men and women. Left there to go to a waitressing job and again met people from all walks of live. Probably waitressing was the best experience at a young age — started out at 1.25 and hour and I did this every weekend I was in college and worked full time during the one month I had off as I did 4 years of college in 3 years by going to school during the summer. Kept me busy and out of any trouble.
My first job was a painter homes apartments etc. later in life I owned a painting company with 18 employees 5 trucks life was great!
My first job right out of high school was an assistant bookkeeper for many small businesses in our city.
I'd taken secretarial courses in high school and had aced them all. But that wasn't what I wanted to do with my life. So I walked miles to the nearest hospital and they were starting a Nurse's Aide class. I signed up. Then told my boss at bookkeepers shop, I'd be quitting. She felt bad because I'd proven good at bookkeeping and tax configuration.
I'd worked my way up medical ladder from Aide, Surgery technician, Registered Nurse to Physician's Assistant.